Twitterpated
by Maho-chan
Summary: One morning, while living in New York, Tsukasa annoys his tutor while waiting for Tsukushi to call him from abroad. What is love supposed to look like? [Oneshot]


Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango. **Spoiler Alert **for the Hana Yori Dango One Shot Sequel in Margaret Magazine, issue #15, which came out in July 2006.

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_AN (11/3/06): I saw the word "twitterpated" in a novel I read recently and felt inspired to write this story. The word "twitterpated" is an English slang word. This story occurs after volume 36 of the manga. Julia is the name I gave to Tsukasa's tutor in New York who appears very briefly in the HYD one shot sequel that came out this year. Mistakes Tsukasa makes when he speaks English in this story are intentional._

_Hope you enjoy reading this story! As always, if you enjoy this story please let me know. :)_

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**Twitterpated****  
A Hana Yori Dango Fanfiction  
By Maho-chan**

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He was doing it _again._

Julia couldn't believe it, halfway through their morning English lesson Tsukasa was actually nodding off. Irritated with him Julia slammed her book on his desk and startled him awake.

Tsukasa leveled her with an angry glare. "Old bag." He said under his breath.

Julia clenched her fists. What ever happened to the polite manner of the Japanese she had always heard about? Shouldn't he be calling her "sensei"? Giving him a withering look, Julia ordered in a loud voice "Tsukasa! We are studying now. Sleep some other time."

Tsukasa raised an eyebrow at her and muttered curses under his breath in Japanese. Turning back to the English novel he was supposed to be reading aloud, he gave it a grim look, his mouth set in a straight line.

Julia sighed. When she'd signed on for this tutoring job at the beginning of last year, she had no idea that she would be battling a surly Japanese teenager with a bad attitude every single day afterwards. The agency had assured her that this assignment would be a piece of cake.

"Oh he's a sweet heart! He's so polite and so handsome!" Her supervisor at the agency had said. "Tsukasa moved here from Japan so that he could take over his father's company." The elderly woman had explained. "He's 19 years old and he doesn't speak very good English. And the poor dear lives alone." Smiling reassuringly, she had assured Julia. "You should have no trouble at all!"

Boy, had she been wrong.

Sure Tsukasa had been polite at first. Julia had been fooled into thinking that he would be a model student during their first meeting. He had quietly listened to her then, speaking very little in English or Japanese. Little did she know that he was sizing her up and preparing for _combat._

Most of her lessons with him consisted of arguing, her shouting in English and he grumbling in Japanese. He fought her every single time. Sometimes Julia honestly regretted understanding Japanese. The things he said about her! Julia would have quit months ago if it weren't for the huge sums of money she was being given for this assignment.

Julia was shaken out of her reverie by more of Tsukasa's mutterings.

He was now calling her "a stupid old hag"! Glaring at him, Julia looked down at the novel they were studying and pointed to a word on the page "Read this!" she ordered.

Tsukasa scowled and leaned back in his chair.

"Twi…Twitter…pa…ted."

Nodding, Julia corrected him "Repeat after me. Twitterpated."

"What hell is that?" He asked in English, looking very exasperated.

Tsukasa would have much rather been resting this morning than studying contemporary English. He had stayed up late the night before so that he could talk with Tsukushi. Finally he had been able to spend time with her, even if it was just through the video phone.

Looking at his watch, Tsukasa realized that now might be around the time Tsukushi was getting off of work. She had said she would try to call him again when she arrived home. Tsukasa wished that she would call soon.

Even though they had just spoken hours ago, he missed her so much.

Tsukasa wondered how the rest of Tsukushi's day had gone. Was she tired after her part time job? Thinking of how Tsukushi had looked when they last talked, Tsukasa wished he could have been there to hold her close.

His thoughts of Tsukushi were interrupted as Julia continued in a sarcastic and falsely cheerful voice.

"Twitterpated is a unique word to describe how someone feels when they are in love with someone." She said.

"Hmph." Tsukasa said, looking out the window with disinterest. What could this ugly woman know about love? As he regarded the gathering clouds outside, Tsukasa's eyes softened. Tsukushi had said it was raining in Tokyo…

Julia was about to shout at Tsukasa to pay attention when she noticed that his expression had become sad. Thinking about this, Julia realized that she had rarely seen her student smile.

In fact, there was only that one time...

That day a package had arrived during one of their lessons and Tsukasa had insisted, or rather _demanded_ in a frightening way that they take a break. Watching Tsukasa open that package, Julia had been surprised at how his expression had changed. As Tsukasa had opened the small parcel, a big grin had come over his face. And after ripping the paper and tossing the wrapping aside, he had pulled out a long colorful handmade scarf. Julia remembered how he had turned it over in his hands, examining the stitches in awe. And then he had laughed and said "Makino you idiot! It looks so dumb!" before carefully wrapping the scarf around his neck.

After he had opened that package, Julia had been mystified by the goofy grin that had remained on Tsukasa's face. He had actually paid attention to her lessons that day. And she noticed that every day afterwards, if there was even a hint of cold weather; Tsukasa would adamantly wear the scarf when he went out, occasionally showing it off to the housekeeping staff at his home. And every time someone stopped to admire it, Tsukasa would say to them in a proud voice "Makino."

Eventually, Julia had talked with one of the housekeepers and found out that "Makino" was Tsukasa's girlfriend in Japan.

Bringing her thoughts to the present as she watched Tsukasa continue to stare out the window, Julia suddenly had an idea. She almost grinned, she was so pleased. The example she would use to illustrate the meaning of "twitterpated" might just win him over. Maybe for once she would have some success and he would learn a word quickly without the process being a struggle between them!

Julia came around the desk and blocked Tsukasa's view of the window to get his attention. She said matter-of-factly. "Twitterpated means to be happy and in love. It means to be excited with love." It wasn't _exactly_ the way it was defined but given Tsukasa's English skills she supposed for now it would have to do.

Tsukasa looked away from her and stared at his book. His expression seemed like he was considering her words and feeling encouraged, Julia continued.

"Twitterpated is a way to describe how you feel about Ms. Makino."

There, she had said it. Anticipating a breakthrough, Julia smiled.

At the sound of his girlfriend's name Tsukasa turned to Julia, his mouth set in a frown. "Makino?" He queried in a disbelieving voice. "Ah, just shut up." He grumbled, now doodling the characters for "idiot" and "ugly" on his notepad. Feeling very frustrated, Julia resisted tearing at her hair and screaming aloud. She was trying so hard!

About to shout at him and give him a piece of her mind, Julia stopped as Tsukasa repeated the word in a soft voice "Twitterpated."

Maybe there was some hope. Deciding that shouting wouldn't help, Julia gritted her teeth, mustered all of her patience and said "Just remember the word. It's going to be on a quiz." Leaning over him to point out the next word he had to learn, Julia jumped as a phone rang very loudly.

Ah, the infamous video phone.

Time and time again she had had shut of the dreaded appliance when it interrupted one of her lessons. About to head into the other room to turn it off, Julia stopped as Tsukasa stood and towered over her, blocking her way. Pointing towards the doorway where the phone awaited him in the other room, he said bluntly "It's Makino." Wanting to convince Julia to let him go without a fuss, Tsukasa decided to make use of the new word. "Like you say…Twitter…pa…"

"Twitterpated." Julia finished for him, surprised that he had used the new word. He pushed past her and said "Okay. Break." Julia was about to protest when she noted the urgency in his expression. Remembering that day with the scarf she sighed and rubbed her forehead. Maybe it was time for a break.

Glancing down at her lesson notes while she waited for Tsukasa, Julia almost laughed when she heard him say in a loud, arrogant tone "Twitterpated." Peering into the adjacent room, Julia saw that Tsukasa was smiling into the video phone.

Julia couldn't believe it, as Tsukasa talked on that phone with his girlfriend, his whole demeanor really did change. Was this the tense, surly student that she dreaded teaching every day? He seemed relaxed and almost friendly…

"Twitt…" Tsukushi replied "What does that mean?" she asked in Japanese.

"Ha Ha Ha." Tsukasa laughed and said smugly, also in Japanese "I learned that word today. It's English. Aren't you impressed?"

Tsukushi made a face and said loudly "No. I bet you don't know what it means."

Tsukasa glowered "Makino, I know what it means!"

"Oh really? What does it mean then?" Tsukushi asked, lifting her chin defiantly.

Tsukasa leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms and said with a petulant frown on his face "I'm not going to tell you now."

From where she was standing, Julia could see both of them clearly. She watched them in awe.

It looked like they were about to start fighting. Maybe she had been wrong earlier when she had used Tsukasa and his girlfriend as an example of what "twitterpated" meant.

Honestly, Julia wondered if it was even possible for Tsukasa to feel that way given all the obstinate and taciturn behavior she'd observed from him during their tutoring sessions.

Tsukasa was scowling now. And was that a vein protruding on his forehead? Turning her attention to the video screen, Julia noted that Tsukushi was starting to look very angry.

They _both_ seemed so harsh to each other.

"I must have been wrong." Julia thought.

Concerned that she had made a blunder in comparing Tsukasa's relationship to the wonderful state that the word "twitterpated" described, Julia stared at the scene before her, trying to figure it out.

Twitterpated or not?

Their relationship seemed very confusing to her as they heatedly started arguing back and forth. "Forget being twitterpated, was this even love?" Julia wondered.

"Domyoji, just tell me what it means!" Tsukushi cried.

"No!" Tsukasa said angrily.

"See, you don't know what it means." She countered.

"Yes I do!" He insisted.

"Then tell me!" She demanded, beginning to raise her voice.

"I don't want to!" He said defensively, his tone matching hers.

"You are such a brat!" She yelled, pointing a finger at him.

"Oh yeah? Well you are pissing me off!" He roared back, his expression livid.

On an on it went, back and forth, their voices raised to the highest decibel. Feeling a headache coming on Julia winced, ready to leave in search of some aspirin. How could they stand all that yelling? She couldn't believe those two were really boyfriend and girlfriend.

Julia was about to turn away when Tsukasa bellowed "Stupid woman, I don't want to fight about this anymore! I really want to talk to you!"

Tsukushi shouted back at him "I don't want to fight either! I really miss you, you dumb octopus head!"

Taken aback by Tsukushi's sudden admission, Tsukasa paused. As Tsukushi realized what Tsukasa had said, her eyes widened in surprise. They both gazed at each other through the video phone in shock.

A few seconds later, Tsukasa broke the silence by clearing his throat and continuing in a much gentler voice. "Hey Makino, it's really cloudy here. Is it still raining there?"

Tsukushi blushed and replied quietly. "Yeah it is."

"Oh." Tsukasa replied, also blushing. "How was work?"

"It was okay. My boss let me leave early to call you." Tsukushi said with a wistful smile

Noting how they had both become bashful and seeing how they gazed at each other affectionately, Julia whispered to herself as she left the room

"No matter how strange their relationship looks at first glance, I think they are definitely in love"_  
_

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_--Maho-chan :) _(11/3/06) 


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